Syria attack site samples test positive for nerve agent — Official

International chemical weapons experts were travelling to Syria to investigate an alleged gas attack by government forces on Douma which killed dozens of people.

"These are crimes of a monster", said Trump, adding that Bashar al-Assad's "recent attack... are a direct result of Russia's failure..."

"The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war", said Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia following closed-door Security Council talks. It was in rebel hands by 2012.

Photo by Contributed Photo /Times Free Press.

The leafy suburb on Damascus' outskirts was the bastion of one of the toughest, most disciplined Islamist factions in Syria's rebellion, raining mortars on Assad's seat of power and holding out for years under devastating siege.

But should the United States and our allies decide to act in Syria, it will be in defence of a principle on which we all agree.

The Security Council scheduled another emergency meeting for Friday morning at Russia's request.

A Syrian government representative in Aleppo, who wants to remain anonymous, expressed incomprehension about the German government's attitude in an interview with Junge Welt.

"If there is a strike by the Americans, then ... the missiles will be downed and the source of the missiles targetted", Zasypkin told Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV station.

Known for its luscious grapes and apricots, Douma was a hub for anti-Assad protests in the early, peaceful days of the uprising.

On Monday, Mr. Trump said a decision on how to respond to the attacks would come in "24 to 48" hours.

A protestor holds a placard as he wears a mask depicting United States President Donald Trump as he demonstrates against UK involvement in any military escalation in Syria on Whitehall in London, Britain April 13, 2018.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in calls with other Western leaders that Italy would not directly be involved in military retaliation. They said the fighters controlled took control of the area's agriculture and ran several prisons where people were held and tortured. But the President's threats of force are unlikely to accomplish much for one simple reason: There is no clear strategy guiding them. It is Russia alone that protects the Assad regime.

The Government, however, said evacuations from Douma were ongoing and no Syrian Government forces had entered the town. Traders sought to lock in long crude positions ahead of the weekend, said John Kilduff, Partner at hedge fund Again Capital Management.

Trump himself appeared on Thursday to cast doubt on at least the timing of any US-led military action, tweeting: "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place". Lavrov did not offer evidence to back up his claim. "This is going to change the region", said Frederic Hof, former Syria adviser to Obama.

It features live music and entertainment, wine- and beer-tasting, food, games, face-painting for the kids and demonstrations by the Sonoma County Sheriff's rescue helicopter and the Coast Guard.

Some residents were defiant.

This Iranian analyst went on to say that in general, it seems the two sides are trying to have the situation under control.

"The resulting confusion is a problematic element of uncertainty, at a time when the post Cold War international order is eroding rapidly", warns Toucas. "We were not scared in Aleppo and we are not scared in Damascus".

"Syria is a strong country, but our allies Russia and Iran make us stronger", she said. The Syrian government said it would facilitate the mission's investigation. The Netherlands-based agency said they will start their fact-finding mission on Saturday.

Gundogan has been directly involved in only three goals in the Premier League this season, scoring two and providing one assist. We'll give him the passes, the problems we had with the strikers, we need all four them, it's important to have him back".

Those risks are out there, and it's clear that the president's personal instincts are to run toward risk rather than away from it. And the president's top economic adviser and an opponent of tariffs, Gary Cohn , announced his plans to depart the White House.

The Champions League is thus their last realistic hope of silverware and they will be raring to go for the quarter-final tie. That's three goals less than Salah, although Messi still has nine League games left this season, while Salah only has seven.

Lakdim shot one police officer in the shoulder in Carcassonne, a walled hill top city which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. He killed two people and injured 15 others when he raided the supermarket in the southwestern French town.

And those allies have threatened to retaliate by slapping tariffs on U.S. exports, which would alsohurt lots of American workers. Editor's note: Today we add Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen to the Bay Area News Group's stable of opinion page writers.

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